Chips and Slips 71 



menb referred to vras tree-felling by electricity, instead of by the ordinary 

 method of the clumsy axe. The patentees of the process are Mr. H. H. S. 

 Parkinson and Mr. W. H. Martin, both of Bombay ; and the experiment was 

 superintended by Dr. Lyons. Tlie plan is simple. The two ends of the copper 

 wires of a galvanic battery are connected with platinum wire, wh'ch of 

 course instantly becomes red-hot, and while ia that state it is gently see-sawed 

 acrossthe trunk of the tree to be felled. When arrangements were made for 

 the experiment, it was never for a moment doubted that the enterprising 

 merchants of Bombay were possessed of all its made thicknesses of platinum 

 wire, but it turned out that the thickness of the thickest that could be got was 

 only that of crochet cotton. It was at once seen that a wire of such thinness 

 would be consumed before the tree was half severed from its trunk. However, 

 the attempt was made. The burning wire performed its task very well so long 

 as it lasted, but, as anticipated, the wire continually broke, and at length there 

 was no wire left. There can be little doubt that with a stronger battery — the 

 one used was only a twelve-chambered one — and a thicker wire, the experi- 

 ment would have been entirely successful. As it was, the tree was sawn one- 

 fifth through. It is calculated that under proper conditions a tree, which 

 at present takes two hours to fell, will come to the ground by this process in 

 fifteen minutes. It is almost needless to add that there is no waste of wood 

 no sawdust. — Homeward Mail. 



Planting Barren Sands. —Every one who knows South Africa is aware 

 that there are extensive and sandy plains on the Cape Flats, between Table 

 Bay and False Bay, aa well as in the immediate vicinity of Port Elizabeth, 

 Algoa Bay. On the former, successful plantations have been raised, or other-, 

 wise immense tracts of fertile country would have been swallowed up by the 

 drifting sands, but near Port Elizabeth nothing of the sort has been done. The 

 consequence is that farms have been destroyed, others arc threatened, silting 

 up in marine works is increased, and it is difficult to say where or at what 

 point the incursions of the sand will stop. It is imperatively necessary, 

 therefore, to arrest the drift, and use means to this end. People have just 

 been imported from the Landes, in France, who have been accustomed to 

 the successful planting in sand which has long been conducted there. They 

 ai'e to be set to work at once. Thousands of trees are to be planted near 

 Port Elizabeth, and it is quite possible that in a few years a very great 

 and salutary change will be effected. — South Africa Hail, Feb. 20. 



Mistletoe on a Scotch Fir. — I have seen mistletoe, I thirJc, growing on all 

 the trees enumerated lately by your correspondents except the oak, on which 

 I have never been fortunate enough to find it. The Scotch fir, however, is 

 not among the trees mentioned on which it grows, and it may interest some of 

 your readers to know that I gathered it on this tree many years ago in the 

 Bavarian Tyrol, between Munich and InnsjDruck. It grew by the road-side in 

 one spot, in an abundant colony ; the plants were large and vigorous, and 

 evidently in a thriving condition. I was amazed to find an old friend, which 

 I had always been accustomed to see fed on the sweet juices of apples and 

 poplars, thriving equally well on the austere turpentine of a Conifer. To 

 prevent any chance of mistake, I cut off" a branch and brought it home with 

 me. It was a curious example, showing the perfect union of the two plants. 

 — J. D. Lleioelyn, in the " Garden." 



American Trees. — The report of the United States Commissioner for Agri- 

 culture for 1875 contains a catalogue of upwards of 400 species of forest 

 trees, including, however, such plants as Yuccas. The same volume contains 

 an elaborate and exhaustive account of the forests of the several States. — 

 Garden er's Chronicle. 



Exhibition of Bark. — A special international exhibition of leather and oak 

 bark will be held in Berlin in September next. The culture of the oak, says 

 the Tanners and Curriers^ Journal, is one of the most important and vital 

 questions the leather trade has ever had to resolve. This is a well-known fact 

 to everybody in the trade, and one of the greatest attractions of the exhibition 

 will be to show the state of the oak forests, and encourage their improvement. 



Epping Forest. — The final decision was made last week by the Master of the 

 Rolls in the Epping Forest case, awarding an injunction against the continuance 



